


Time and Again

by zeest



Category: Samurai Warriors
Genre: M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-28
Updated: 2011-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-16 00:19:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/166417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeest/pseuds/zeest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A trip to Sawayama, for two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time and Again

**Author's Note:**

> A sequel to silverlined's reincarnation fic, _[in any season](http://archiveofourown.org/works/139373)_. Also beta-ed by her :D  
>  Since this fic is based on the fic linked above, I've used the same 'reincarnation name'; Mitsuru for Mitsunari (Sakon remains as Sakon). Hope it's not too weird!

Mitsuru still isn’t quite sure how Sakon convinced him to come along on this trip to Sawayama.

_“Field research,” Sakon says. “For my next book. You know I have to do a lot of research to uphold Shima Kiyomi’s reputation as a grand novelist,” he says with no little pride._

_“You mean the reputation of your secret pen name,” Mitsuru replies flatly. “You need to stop dragging me along when you’re chasing obscure rumours.”_

_“You know you love going on trips with me.”_

_“I love it when you go on your own.”_

_“Hearing you use the word “love” makes me happy.”_

_“I’d love for you to get lost in the woods and never come back.”_

Three days later, he is seated in a train compartment at an obscenely early hour, dozing lightly against the window while Sakon hums cheerfully in his seat beside Mitsuru, waiting for the train to depart.

"How long is the journey there?" Mitsuru asks sleepily, barely 10 minutes after the train has left the station.

"Just a little more than an hour. If you get bored, I have some books you can borrow to pass the time." Sakon digs around in his bag for a few minutes before handing a slim volume over to Mitsuru.

Mitsuru flips the book over and begins to read the blurb on the back. "Taketora Masaie, a master of the Yagyuu sword style, has never once questioned his loyalty to his lord, Honjo Echizen, the daimyo of Shimozuka. But when the lord's foster daughter, the beautiful Princess Suzu, comes to his rooms one night with a curious and tragic tale-" He breaks off abruptly, his voice horrified.

"I would have thought as an author known for writing serious historical fiction with attention to accuracy, you would be above this kind of books," Mitsuru says, his eyes narrowing in suspicion when Sakon only smiles serenely at him. He takes another look at the book's dust jacket.

"Shiranui Sassa," he reads aloud and glances up to see Sakon giving him a knowing look.

"You," he says, incredulous. "You wrote this, this trash?"

"I protest!" Sakon says in mock indignation. "After all, history is as much about the bonds people formed as it is about the battles they fought."

*

A large signboard proclaiming the hill as the site of the historic Sawayama Castle greets them as they approach.

Mitsuru looks up in disbelief. “I am not climbing up the hill,” he says firmly.

“But it would be a waste of time coming all the way here just to turn right back again,” Sakon cajoles.

Mitsuru folds his arm stubbornly. “It’s too hot for hikes. You can go on your own. I’ll wait here.”

“So is what Kiyoshi said true then? That you’re always skipping out on PE classes because you can’t keep up,” Sakon says with a smirk.

Mitsuru glowers at him. “I hate you,” he says through gritted teeth. He turns on his feet and stalks off towards the entrance of the path that leads uphill.

Sakon catches up easily with long strides. “I heard that you can see the lake from the top,” he says buoyantly. “The view must be beautiful.”

*

The path up is narrow, bushes and trees growing wild on either side. The summer sun is high in the cloudless sky, the heat beating down mercilessly on them. The wide stone steps at the start of the trail soon gives way to a narrow dirt path. Despite the abundance of trees providing shade on either side of the path, Mitsuru is sweating and winded long before they reach the top.

“Shall I give you a piggyback ride?” Sakon asks sweetly.

Mitsuru contemplates pushing him off the path but decides to save his strength and settles on a scowl. “You could always just go ahead if I’m slowing you down,” he says, peevish.

Sakon smiles affectionately at him. “As if I could leave you behind now.”

Mitsuru feels a chill running down his spine even as Sakon’s face grows serious and his eyes takes on a faraway look.

“Let’s go,” he says, shaking his head to dislodge the strange feeling gripping his mind. “Or we’ll never reach the top at this rate.”

It takes them about thirty minutes to reach the site, the only indication being the abrupt end of the path in a shady clearing which looks far too narrow to have been the site of a castle.

"Is this all there is?" Mitsuru asks, his voice disbelieving. "There's only a stone column and a signboard here!"

"The castle was torn down long ago and a reproduction was never built in its place," Sakon says. "You should have known this from your history classes, unless you weren’t paying attention?” he asks, smirking.

"I don't think they teach this in school," Mitsuru grumbles. "What's the point of coming here then?"

"Atmosphere!" Sakon says, making a sweeping gesture with his arm. "Can you imagine that a castle once stood here, five stories high, where lords planned for battle while guards and servants went about in their duties? It is amazing," Sakon says wistfully. "Even when the physical representations are long gone, there is a sense of history where it once stood and it connects us with the past."

Mitsuru pointedly pays no heed to the niggling sense of familiarity that has dogged him persistently ever since they passed the first gate at the foot of the hill. "Kiyoshi was right," he mutters. "There is something wrong with you."

“Come here,” Sakon motions for Mitsuru to join him and Mitsuru reluctantly abandons his post to walk to where Sakon stands, near the edge overlooking the town sprawling at the foot of the hill.

“Look, you can see the lake from here,” Sakon points out. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Mitsuru feels an oddly at peace as he gazes out to where the lake lies beyond the town, a line of mountains backing it, the surface shimmering as it reflects the sun rays. His fingers brushes against the back of Sakon’s hand.

“Yes, it is,” he says softly.

*

“If you’re done soaking up the atmosphere, let’s go,” Mitsuru says a few minutes later. “I’m getting hungry.”

"I thought we could have our lunch here. A picnic, just the two of us."

Mitsuru decides to ignore the suggestive tone in favour of the bottle of water Sakon is handing to him. He drinks thirstily, and pours a little water down his face to take the edge off the heat. Sakon spreads the picnic mat he pulled out from his bag on a grassy patch and begins laying out containers of food on it.

He opens one of the containers with a flourish, offering the contents to Mitsuru. Three onigiri sit inside the box, neat as a picture. "Have one," Sakon urges, "I made them myself. They're filled with-"

"If you say love, I will stuff them down your throat," Mitsuru threatens but he takes one.

“You know I’ll never object to you feeding me,” Sakon replies and laughs when Mitsuru splutters.

*

“Are you feeling better?” Sakon asks, concerned.

Mitsuru gives him a baleful glare before closing his eyes again, breathing in deeply to ease the ache in his stomach. He feels the air shifting as Sakon settles down beside him and jumps a little when one large and warm hand settles on his back.

“Let’s rest here until you feel better,” Sakon says gently. Mitsunari makes no reply but leans into the comforting warmth despite himself.

The temple they are stopping at lies near the foot of the hill, its open gates a god-send to Mitsuru after walking most of the way down with a stomachache that had seemed to worsen with every step. Sakon had gone around the compound, exploring the building and talking to the priests there, before joining Mitsuru on the open veranda at the front of the temple.

They sit together in amiable silence, Mitsuru trying to calm his stomach through sheer force of will and Sakon flipping through the pages of a guidebook he has procured.

Sakon chuckles softly, breaking the peace.

“I think,” he says, his voice warm with amusement, “that you have been cursed.”

“What?”

“Sawayama Castle was built up by a warlord named Ishida Mitsunari,” Sakon recites, in the tone of a storyteller. “After his death, the castle was occupied by Ii Naomasa who died barely two years later. Legend has it that Ishida’s ghost haunted the castle and caused his death, and that was why the castle was demolished. Perhaps you kicked over a stray remaining stone on the way up,” he teases.

Mitsuru snorts in disbelief. “I blame your terrible cooking. I knew that onigiri tasted funny.”

Sakon grins. “It was filled with love.”

Mitsuru pokes Sakon in the stomach. “Your _love_ gives me indigestion,” he says, his voice heavy with irony.

Sakon catches his wrist before he could poke him again and waves the guidebook. “It says here that porridge with chives is the traditional cure in these parts for stomach upsets. Shall I make you some when we get back?”

Mitsuru pulls his hand out of Sakon’s grip and pokes him again viciously. “I’m not eating your cooking again. Ever,” he adds, for emphasis.

“I see you’re feeling better already,” Sakon says cheerfully. “Come, it’s time to go back.”

Mitsuru lets himself be pulled up by Sakon and follows him to the temple gates. He turns back to look up at the hill one more time and for a moment, sees a castle rising tall above the trees, sunlight glinting off its elegant sloping roofs. He blinks and the image is gone.

“Mitsuru?”

Mitsuru turns to see Sakon looking quizzically at him. “It’s nothing,” he says. “Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> -Ii Naomasa was given Sawayama Castle after the battle of Sekigahara. He promptly began plans for another castle to be built nearby, but died in 1602 before construction began. His son, Ii Naokatsu, continued the work on the castle which was soon known as Hikone Castle. Sawayama Castle was torn down and used as materials for the new castle.  
> \- There are two temples at Sawayama, Ryoutanji and Seiryouji. Both are still standing and Seiryouji was formerly Sakon’s residence.  
> \- Mitsunari’s curse... exists in rumours and stories. More information [here](http://yobanashi.livejournal.com/842.html). Yes, the entire premise of this fic is a lame joke :'D


End file.
